As demand for skilled truck drivers rises across the SADC region, training centres like Zambia’s Industrial Training Centre (ITC) are under pressure to keep pace – not just for productivity but for road safety. Now, three ex-UK heavy goods vehicles donated by Transaid corporate partners are helping meet that challenge, going into immediate service as training assets for new and existing drivers.

The ITC in Lusaka officially took delivery of the vehicles in April, marking another milestone in its long-standing partnership with Transaid, the UK-based transport development charity working to improve road safety and access to healthcare across sub-Saharan Africa.

Three used-but-still-mighty commercial vehicles have begun their second life in Zambia – this time not as beasts of burden but as training platforms for hundreds of professional truck drivers in the making.

Since teaming up in 2008, Transaid and the ITC have helped train more than 25 000 drivers – a life-saving contribution in a country where overloaded roads and undertrained drivers can prove fatal.

Second life for hard-working vehicles

The donation includes two Scania R450 tractor units from long-time supporter The Malcolm Group and a DAF CF rigid supplied by Asset Alliance Group, who also covered the shipping bill. All three vehicles had previously seen service in the UK and were thoroughly prepped and serviced before shipment.

To modernise the trucks for training use, they were kitted out with HD camera systems from Brigade Electronics, and telematics and fleet safety software from Microlise – both valued Transaid corporate partners.

Brigade installed analogue HD side cameras and 7-inch colour monitors in each cab. The system activates with the indicators, eliminating blind spots and helping future drivers develop safe habits from day one. Microlise provided Fleet Performance and Driver Safety software, giving instructors the tools to monitor and improve behind-the-wheel behaviour in real time.

Partners who walk the talk

“Transaid is an organisation very close to our hearts,” says Andrew Malcolm, Chief Executive of The Malcolm Group. “We take a huge sense of pride in knowing that these two vehicles, which have worked so hard for our business, can now enjoy a second life helping to make the roads safer in Zambia alongside our previously donated vehicles.”

For Asset Alliance Group, who joined the Transaid partnership in 2024, it was a chance to make an early impact. “Hearing that new duties on imported vehicles would cause a potential problem for donations, we saw an opportunity to step up and help,” says Willie Paterson, CEO. “The work Transaid does is incredible and shouldn’t be limited by shipping costs.”

Results on the road

With Zambia facing a steady growth in commercial freight movement and limited local training resources, these kinds of partnerships deliver tangible value. For Transaid, the trucks aren’t just machines – they’re multipliers.

Caroline Barber, Transaid’s Chief Executive, says: “We are so fortunate to have such wonderful corporate partners that truly believe in the work we are doing and genuinely want to get involved in any way they can. As we have seen with previous vehicle donations, these three trucks will be very useful additions to the ITC fleet.”

Now in service, these vehicles will be used to train both novice drivers and those already in the field needing refresher training – building skills, saving lives, and fuelling safer roads for Zambia’s transport sector one driver at a time.

About Transaid

The UK-based Transaid transforms lives through safe, available and sustainable transport. Founded by Save the Children, The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) and its Patron, HRH The Princess Royal, the international development organisation works with communities, partners, and governments to solve transport challenges throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

Transaid works in two core areas, road safety and access to health, to solve two of the biggest transport challenges in sub-Saharan Africa. Transaid’s road safety work focuses on influencing safe driver behaviour with long term programmes in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, responding to local needs for improved training for drivers and riders of trucks, buses, motorcycles and forklift trucks.

On the access to health side, Transaid is working with local partners and communities to strengthen access to health services, primarily in rural areas. They are also working to strengthen health supply chains in collaboration with local partners and governments. Transaid enjoys strong backing from the transport and logistics industry and the active involvement of its patron, HRH The Princess Royal. 

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